


Lover

by HighWarlockOfBrooklyn



Category: The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-17
Updated: 2020-12-17
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:20:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28135338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HighWarlockOfBrooklyn/pseuds/HighWarlockOfBrooklyn
Summary: Forever. Funny, that word was especially when you're immortal. But unlike some other immortal, Magnus actually meant that. Of all the great loves he had, which was surprisingly few for someone who had lived for over three hundred years, he always meant it when he'd say he'd love them forever.
Relationships: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, Magnus Bane/Etta
Kudos: 11





	Lover

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ㅤㅤㅤㅤ _Can I go where you **go**?_  
ㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤ _Can we always be this **close**?_

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ _ **Forever and ever**_.   
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**BROOKLYN, NEW YORK — December 1953**

That nagging feeling of restlessness and anxiousness usually occurs when one is waiting on their dates for their first night out, not when you've been going out with someone for the past fifteen years. And if there were any feeling of restlessness and anxiousness to be felt that night it shouldn't be with Magnus Bane—cool, confident, Magnus Bane—and yet there he was feeling just that; only just a bit, in his mind mostly. He didn't feel it physically; no fluttering in his stomach, no fidgeting, no phantom itch to scratch. On the outside he was as calm and cool as he would always be but his mind was in quite a disarray.

He thought earlier that day would be the last he'd see of Etta, but she had a change of heart and thought it would be nice to spend a little more time with him. It was her decision to leave him, for good, and as strong of a woman as she was, this must have been difficult for her too. Magnus has prepared for this moment long before she decided, but it never seemed to get any easier. It was any minute now, any second now, and then it was finally goodbye.

“Were you just waiting out here?” came a woman's voice, breaking through his thoughts. It was Etta.

As soon as he heard her, he moved away from leaning against the wall by the flight of stairs leading to his loft.

“A mermaid kept flirting with me, it was rather annoying, not to mention the smell,” he replied with a smile.

He stood there, watching her as she took of her coat and gloves, revealing a midnight blue off-shoulder cocktail dress underneath. With a snap of Magnus's finger, blue smoke and light wrapped around Etta's coat and gloves and made it disappear and eventually popping up on one of Magnus's coatrack upstairs. She looked up at him, regarding him as she would always do whenever they'd meet. She loved seeing him wearing bold and exciting outfits no man in their right mind would wear, unless you were Liberace.

Tonight he wore a modest ensemble, well, as modest as Magnus could be at least. He wore a black suit embellished with gold art nouveau-like pattern all over. He wore a gold patterned silk ascot that had a ruby skull cameo pinned at the center. His eyes were lined dark like a pharaoh and of course, he wore a lot of glitter, like stardust painted around his eyes.

“Lovely as always,” she told him. His hand reached out for her and she took it. She walked up the steps and passed Magnus, letting her take the lead.

“How's Mama Flora?” he asked as they climbed up the stairs. “I'm surprised she let you go.”

It was kind of Etta to spend New Year's Eve with him in his world for the first time in all the years he'd known her. She was a family-oriented person, as well as everyone else in her family actually. Every special occasion needed to be celebrated and celebrated well, and every celebration had to be spent with family. Magnus was lucky enough to have been invited to some of her family gatherings over the years.

“Mama and the others were having a blast when I left. I'm surprised she did too, thirty-three years old and I still have to ask my mama for permission,” she laughed. “I said I'd be with you and she let me go. She really loves you, I guess.”

As if it wasn't hard enough that Magnus had to let go of Etta, he started to think about her family too. It was the first time that he didn't just fall in love with someone, but with their family as well. It would have been nice to be a part of that kind of family, he thought.

Up in his loft was a riotous and shimmering spectacle of black, gold, and silver. A vampire jazz band was playing an upbeat rhythm that kept everyone on the dance floor. He had been throwing parties like this for a while now, some time after Raphael left his care. Etta had been to a couple of them but Downworlder parties can be too much sometimes, even for Etta who used to jump from club to club with Magnus to dance the night away, but she was getting older.

A lot of people would glance or ogle at them as the two passed. There were always eyes on Etta whenever she'd come to Downworlder functions with Magnus. Aside from how stunning she'd always seem to look it was of course because of the unmistakable fact that she was a mundane. That or that she was Magnus Bane's mundane girlfriend. Despite the dangers mundanes would sometimes face whenever there are Downworlders lurking nearby, it would take a special kind of idiot to target any mundane closely related to Magnus, and it wasn't just because he was the host.

He thought for sure that that would be it for him and Etta when he told her the truth of what he was all those years ago. But after over ten years, nothing changed. She wasn't scared or repulsed nor did she find him more attractive or desirable for being who he was; she just kept on loving him the same way she always had for the past four years that time. Magnus immediately felt relieved, and then laughed at himself for worrying.

Any minute now and the new year was getting close. They didn't drink as much as they used to but they still laughed and had their share of fun, and of course, the dancing was the thing he looked forward to the most. By now the band has started playing a tune that's much slower and more intimate. There were no spaces between Magnus and Etta. He held on to her hand tight and had pulled her close to him like he would never let her go. Her head rested against his chest as they spun around, both their eyes closed, and their hearts wishing the night would never end.

“Magnus Bane,” she whispered like a wish, etching his name, his face, his scent, everything about Magnus, into her memory so she'd never forget him.

“I love you,” he told her. Forever, he promised.

Forever. Funny, that word was especially when you're immortal. But unlike some other immortal, Magnus actually meant that. Of all the great loves he had, which was surprisingly few for someone who had lived for over three hundred years, he always meant it when he'd say he'd love them forever. Even when their bodies expire or the memories become hazy, the love he keeps in his heart for them was just as immortal as he was.

Etta opened her eyes and looked up at him.

“I have to go,” she told him, but that was to remind herself that she had to too.

He stared into her eyes for a moment and then down to her lips. He wanted to kiss her. He would have and she would've kissed him back, he knew that. But they couldn't want that. A moment's passed and that was all they had. Still, he managed to chuckle and smile at her.

“Don't be a stranger,” he told her.

“Maybe I'll see you again,” she smiled. Someday, she promised.

They pulled away from each other and slowly let go of each other's hands despite not wanting to. She backed away, her eyes still on Magnus for a while before turning away to leave. 

“Have fun without me,” he called out to her as he watched her back. “But not too much fun, that would be impossible without me.”

She turned around and waved at him, smiling, the last one he would see, at least until that fateful ‘someday’ that she promised comes.

Then the fireworks went off. He didn't even notice the crowd counting down to welcome the new year. His attention was all on Etta as she kept walking, further and further away from his reach until she disappeared into the crowd.

“I need a drink,” he said.

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**ALICANTE, IDRIS — September 2007**

The fireworks exploded in a shower of sparks—sparks that painted the clouds overhead as they fell, one by one, in streaking lines of golden fire, like angels falling from the sky. But Magnus wasn't looking up, he was drinking a flute of champagne, looking over his glass, and right at the blue-eyed, dark-haired charmer from across the square.

Saying that a lot has happened in the past few days would be an understatement. There had been a war for one, with both Shadowhunters and Downworlders laying their lives, and charging into battle. It wasn't against each other, but together on the same side; they had his little biscuit, Clary, to thank for that. Not that everyone would likely want to seeing as some people's prejudices still overpowered their common sense despite their shared victory. Typical Nephilims, he thought, but took it back. Not all of them was like that of course, especially not Alec.

It might seem selfish of Magnus to think that the highlight of his week wasn't even the war—not that he particularly cared whether or not people saw him as selfish or self-centered—but the one that came before that. The kind of war inside oneself that he had witnessed Alec overcome for the past few weeks of knowing him and knowing him intimately.

If anyone were to tell Magnus that the pretty little Shadowhunter who a little over a month ago came all the way to Brooklyn, knocking on his door like a lost pup just to thank him and who would eventually ask him on a date was going to have the courage to kiss him in public he wouldn't believe it. Not just any ordinary public, oh no, but also in front of his friends, his family, other Shadowhunters and Downworlders, both known to them and unknown in the hallowed halls of the Accords Hall. If anyone told Magnus that, he would've thought they were delirious. And yet there was Alexander Lightwood, announcing loudly to the world without speaking a word that he wanted him, Magnus Bane, of all people. Not even Magnus could believe that that had happened but it did, he was in the thick of it, he felt it, and he was certainly not going to forget it.

Well played, Alexander, he thought, well played.

“Magnus!” came a man's voice, breaking through his thoughts. It was Alec.

“Are you alright? You were just staring at nothing.”

“That's ridiculous, I've been staring at you,” he smiled. “And you're everything to me, my darling.”

“Oh,” Alec's face flushed. Magnus's playful words was something the Shadowhunter was still trying to get used to. Magnus was aware of that and he wasn't going to let him get used to it; he was prepared with a tome of words he would use against Alec to make him flush.

“You're missing the fireworks, is anything wrong?” Alec asked.

“Bah, amateurs, I could make better and prettier fireworks with my eyes closed,” he told him and it made Alec laugh a little.

“I was thinking,” Magnus began. “After all that's happened, I was thinking about going on a little well-earned vacation.”

“You're going on a vacation? When will you be back?” 

“Not just me, but you too. How about going out of the country for our first date?”

“Our first date? Didn't we... Haven't we been dating?” Alec asked, confused. He was certain they were dating, unless there were things he missed about this whole dating thing.

“Have we? I seem to recall you saying several times before that we weren't dating.”

“Wait, no, you know that was—I'm sorry,” Alec said in a panic. He looked at Magnus chuckling and he let out an exhale, feeling relieved.

“I'm only teasing,” said Magnus. “I mean our first official date now that you're more, well, free.”

“Right.”

“So, first date ideas then, Paris? Venice? Berlin? How about an entire European trip?” he asked then he took a sip from his champagne flute.

Alec smiled. He reached for Magnus's hand and said, “I'll go wherever you go.”

The glass that Magnus was holding was engulfed in the blue flames that came from the warlock's hand, sending it to a table somewhere nearby. He locked his fingers as he held onto Alec's hand. Magnus smiled at him as he raised his other hand to bury his fingers into the Shadowhunter's dark hair and leaned in for a kiss. Magnus felt Alec shiver a bit in surprise and it made him chuckle between his kisses, which did nothing to help the Shadowhunter's poor heart.

“I love you,” he told him. Forever, he promised.

Magnus had a feeling he would be enjoying his time with Alexander Lightwood, his darling, his light, his lover.  
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ㅤㅤㅤㅤ  
ㅤㅤ _My heart's been **borrowed** and yours has been **blue**_ ,  
ㅤㅤㅤㅤ _All's well that ends well to **end up with you** ,_  
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ _Swear to be **overdramatic and true** to my,_

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ _ **Lover.**_

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**Author's Note:**

> Hello, new fan. I know it's 2020 already and I'm very late. Fresh out of the boat, just started reading the series and watched the movie last month (not watching the series though) thanks to a friend's insistence so I apologize in advance if I miss anything or make mistakes about the lore.


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